The Winter Solstice
by turningbackthetimeturner
Summary: On the night of the winter solstice, more than just ghosts linger inside the castle walls.


**A/N:** This was written for Gutter City Tomione Convention's Winter Challenge 2013. A big thank you to my beta: Lady Miya.

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**The Winter Solstice**

It had been more than a year since Hermione had stepped foot in the Hogwarts library. She breathed in the familiar musky smell, she had missed it. Hardly anything had changed - the only difference from what it was four years ago was the books - new streams of knowledge being introduced.

Hermione choose an inviting spot, near the restricted section. Before long, she idly perused the newest additions to the Hogwarts library - some of which she hadn't been able to get her own hands on! Of course, that was precisely why she was here in the first place.

Finally, Hermione plucked the tome she was looking for from the shelves: _Winter Solstice._

"Hello." Hermione turned around, startled. She had special permission to be in the library after hours. The teachers were unlikely to step foot in here, in the restricted section. But, it was a man - he didn't look like a Hogwarts student, yet Hermione had the feeling he was around her own age - young enough to look a few years fresh out of Hogwarts just like she was. When she looked closer, she could see the faint washed out outline of his appearance marking him a ghost - but, she noted, he looked more corporeal than normal. He looked startlingly pale as a ghost but, Hermione privately thought, it didn't draw much away from his admittedly rather handsome appearance.

Somehow, he looked familiar, but the answer as to why was just out of reach like a misplaced book left to gather dust in the darkness, never to be finished.

"What's your name?"

"Thomas."

His dark blue eyes glittered with some hidden emotion, while his pale lips quirked into a smile aimed at her. Hermione looked away, flushing, and needlessly turned the books pages just to find something to focus on. She had studies to do and she wasn't going to let a man distract her - no matter how handsome he may be. Hermione's eyes flicked back to her book… _Ghosts are said to look more surreal in times of the Solstice_-

"What, may I ask, is yours?" Thomas asked her, interrupting her reading.

Hermione blinked, before realizing Thomas had asked her a question. Odd, she couldn't remember the last time someone had asked her that when her name (and image) was plastered all over the Daily Prophet so often.

"It's Hermione, Hermione Granger." Hermione said. She looked for his reaction out of the corner of her eyes while she studied her book.

"Ah, it's that so?" Thomas raised his eyebrows in mild surprise "I do remember students speaking about your considerable accomplishments in the hallways, Miss Granger. Although, I don't think you get nearly enough credit for what you've done."

"Oh well thank you." Hermione stammered. She looked back at her book, letting the conversation drop off. Hermione checked her watch; _still so early in the night._ Her research would have to be done tonight - or it wouldn't be done at all until next year. But, Hermione had time; at least, she hoped it would be done as long everything went well.

Hermione felt an intense stare at the back of her neck and she turned around in her seat. Thomas was looking at her, or rather, he looked intrigued at her research. Hermione's mind told her, _Of course, why wouldn't he be curious about a young woman appearing in the library so late at night?_

As if reading her mind, Thomas started talking again. "Pardon me for the intrusion—" He flashed a charming smile at her, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes."—but, what is it that you're working on so late at night?"

"Well..." Hermione didn't want to tell him everything, but if she just told him enough then that would be alright. "I'm here for the Winter Solstice, that's a part of my research. Quite important, actually, it's partly for my Unspeakable training." She said, with a hint of pride in her tone.

"And you're so young... how impressive, being able to achieve that." He looked away, appearing wistful. "Had I been given the chance, perhaps I'd follow down the same path you've taken." Hermione felt flustered, she was hardly used to being prided on when it came to her Unspeakable training. _But,_ Hermione thought with a somber note, _maybe they would've been able to work together if Thomas hadn't died. Did he even participate in the battle of Hogwarts?_

"How did you die exactly?"

"Unfortunate events. I…got into a duel with someone and, at the time, I took great pride in my casting and as it all turned out, because of my arrogance I fell to a killing curse hitting me behind my back." He scowled. "I never did find out who was the one to kill me."

"Oh..how horrible!"

Thomas nodded solemnly. "The past's in the past…but, I would've thought that a young witch like you would have other pursuits on a night like this - but, I'm rather pleased that you're reaching for the more academic life. It seems that most don't go for that anymore."

"Er, well I've always been interested in academics.." Hermione shifted, faintly remembering those nights she'd go out with Ron. But, Ron had been a sore spot she had nursed ever since they had both agreed to break up two weeks ago - with surprisingly not much of a fight. Still, the breakup had left an air of tenseness and furthering the feelings was Harry, who had tried to get their spirits up again with little success.

Hermione supposed she was bitter, while Ron was already snogging his old girlfriend Lavender, she had yet to have a halfway decent bloke even look at her twice. _Well there was Thomas..No._ Hermione shook her head trying to rid herself of the unusual thought. _He's a ghost!_ …Maybe she was more than bitter, Hermione mused.

She cleared her throat, checking her watch again. _Still some time left… _Hermione looked up from her book, "Go away please, I'm trying to work."

"But I do understand what you're working on, Granger. Would you be so cruel as to turn someone away when they hardly have any worthwhile interactions?"

Hermione's eyes darted up from her book again, watching Thomas stepping towards her and taking a seat next to her. It was a facsimile of it at least, as the chair next to her had been pushed back further than usual when she first sat down, she remembered. Somehow it almost felt as if he was more real than she thought.

Hermione shivered.

Thomas had a pleasant smile on his face but it didn't quite reach his eyes, Hermione noted. She checked her watch again.

A small frown briefly appeared Thomas's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "What could possibly be so pressing at this time of the night?"

"It's nothing." Hermione said in a clipped tone. She tightened her grip on her book.

Thomas's face softened, turning sympathetic. "Forgive me. I shouldn't be so intruding on your work. I know I've had plenty of times where people would badger me like that-" He placed a hand over her own, brushing a thumb over her knuckles. Hermione flushed at the contact, yet it was oddly chilly and his hand felt nearly _solid_. She had to have been tired, that was all. Hermione didn't pull her hand away. "- I admit that it's been quite some time that I've met someone who's as engaging as you Hermione." He looked into her eyes, with a hint of shyness.

She didn't know what to even say. Hermione looked down at her book, flustered. "Oh, I…well, thank you Thomas."

Finally she turned to beam at him.

Something nagged at the back of Hermione's head, insistent but faint. She had learned to never trust a pretty face; they were always bound to end up bad - but, Thomas was charming, no, he was flattering to her really… When was the last time anyone had said the slightest thing about her own achievements as a witch?

It couldn't hurt anything.

Hermione leaned forward with quickness, pressing her lips to his. Tom felt hardly solid, his lips feather soft. Hermione felt better than she had in a long time coming.

Hermione's lips prickled and she felt the static of magic passing through her, settling into her core. It was just as she read in the very book she had at hand. _'Souls torn apart by horcruxes are neither dead or alive, rather, they are permanently in a state of limbo.'_ If that was true, then what better days to cross the bridge to a living world than on the days of the Solstice? It had be only then and never anytime else. _Winter Solstice._

She had asked the Hogwarts' ghosts; he avoided them each year but even Riddle couldn't avoid being spotted at least once. Hardly anyone would believe it, Voldemort was dead vanquished at the hands of Harry Potter, but she had doubted it herself. She had her own suspicions, a hunch that she wouldn't be able to provide proof for if she wanted to herself. Thinking of it even long ago reading of Horcruxes for the first time. If murder split the soul irreparably, then just what would happen to the person who died with their soul scattered in so many pieces?

Hermione finally had her answer. _But what were the consciences of that action going to be?_

He merely gave her a smirk, eyes dancing with joy. "For once, I should thank you for your help Granger."

Riddle was appearing more solid - more_ real_ - by the second. Hermione stood up, pushing her chair out of the way.

She hissed, "You're not going to walk out of this room alive unless you do what I say." Hermione pointed her wand at his throat.

Anger flashed in Riddle's eyes and he let the hand curled around his wand fall limp.

"The name Thomas…" Hermione rolled her eyes while shaking her head softly. "Could you be any more obvious?"

His eyes narrowed at the snub.

"Are you aware just what kind of magic is involved in matters as these?" Riddle said coldly.

Hermione snorted, "Of course I do-" She jabbed her wand sharply into his throat "-I kissed you _willingly_. I can theorize that you are now here because of my actions-"

Riddle cut in, "- _Brilliant_ deduction -"

"-_an_d Merlin's theory states that magic is irreversibly connected to the person who caused the action to happen." Hermione finished harshly, taking delight in seeing Riddle's infuriating smirk slowly transform into a sour scowl.

"That doesn't mean anything Mudbl -"

"- Yes it does, I know the magical theory by heart! Go on then, just try to injure me. It won't do anything."

Hermione lowered her wand, stepping backwards with her arms spread open. Riddle considered her for a moment before twisting his mouth into a cruel smile.

"Really now? I would think that the so called brightest witch of her age would be smarter than this." He curled a hand around his wand. "It appears that there's one thing you forgot." Tom said softly, pointing his wand at Hermione. "No one will be able to find your cold corpse._ Avada Kadrava._"

Hermione flinched, despite her surety. That dreaded green light was headed straight to her heart-

It struck her in the chest-

Nothing happened to her.

Hermione let out a shrill laugh. As long he was connected to her she couldn't be touched. She grinned at Riddle, who was tightening his grip on his wand in what had to be slowly building fury aimed at her. And he couldn't do a thing about it.

"See?!" She pointed her wand out at Riddle once more, stepping closer to him. He, Hermione noted, looked nearly solid. More visible than before but still containing that faint washed out appearance._ Something that must have factored into the magic._

"NowI want you to do as I say-"

"- Nobody says I have to follow them -"

_"Shut up."_

"Getting petty now, are we?"

Hermione glared at Riddle, who didn't look the slightest bit fazed.

_"Stupefy!"_

Riddle attempted to dodge the spell, pushing his chair out of the way but it had made its mark.

He never so much as swayed. The shock became visible on him for once, as well as her.

Hermione had to struggle to keep her jaw from dropping. _Why this? And most importantly,_ Hermione thinks,_ how?_

Riddle's face had resorted back to that same infuriating half-smile, and Hermione tried to not grind her teeth. Stuck together. She's not sure what the worse outcome is, having him able to run free and potentially murder others or being able to keep him in sight. Right now, her mind said it's the latter.

"At least, you're not going to be bothering anyone else."

"Fair enough, but I think we both are aware that this won't be final."

_It wouldn't be final, of course,_ that was what Hermione knew for certain. Really, it came down to who would be the first to defeat the other but, if she had anything to say about it, she was going to make sure it was_ her_.

Hermione turned, setting a hand on the exit to the library. "I know Tom."


End file.
